Escape to Normal
by percyluver25
Summary: Lyra and Kenan were kidnapped at a young age. Now they are fourteen, and Lyra can't take it anymore. She wants to get out. Now. Rated T just in case!
1. Prologue

**My first Maximum Ride Fanfiction! I'm so excited! If you don't know me as an author, my A/N's are always in bold, and I do little skits for disclaimers, okay! Good! Disclaimer:**

**Philippe: I looooove Maximum Ride, this'd better be good Apple!**

**Me: Oh it will be, but you know I don't own Maximum Ride right?**

**Philippe: What do you take me for, a fish? James Patterson does!**

Very early in the morning, I was awake before anyone else in the house, and I was bored, as four year olds like me often are. So I slipped outside silently, to go exploring. Maybe I would discover something, and I knew I would get back before my mom woke up. She would be so proud of me when I got home!

The sun was just peeking out from above the treetops, and it was a particularly chilly summer morning. I had forgotten my jacket, but there was no way I would have gone back then. I was an explorer!

Scanning my yard with excited eyes, I looked into the thick woods behind my house. It was the perfect place for a major discovery!

Trotting over to the tree line happily, I looked back at my house. I felt like next time I got to see it, something would be different. Something important. I figured it would be my discovery; it would probably make me famous!

My feet crunched on the dry leaves that littered the forest floor. I was still pajama-clad, complete with piggy slippers. But I was four, I didn't think things through very well, so to me, pajamas were good exploring clothes as any.

I tiptoed through the trees, keeping my eyes peeled for something interesting, undiscovered, and amazing. I felt no fear, only excitement for what I expected to find. Although I really didn't have something particular in mind, I knew I wanted it to be something amazing.

Soon I was deep in the thick woods, but I was sure if I just turned straight around, I could find my way back easily. The problem was, that didn't exactly happen.

After a while, I got tired of exploring, and somewhat scared. I missed my mom, and wanted to go back to her. I had totally forgotten about my discovery I wanted to make her proud with, I just wanted to go home.

I turned around from the way I was facing and walked. And walked. And walked. I saw nothing familiar and had no idea where I was. My mom had no idea where I was either. With this realization I began to panic. I started to cry, which gradually turned into heaving sobs, and a runny nose.

I was cold, tired, and hungry. The sun was now almost halfway through the sky. It seemed like I had been in here a long time. My mom would probably be worried by now. Unless she never even noticed I was gone. Or maybe she would notice but not care. Then she wouldn't ever come looking for me, and I would be stuck here forever.

This thought made me weep even more.

_Crack!_ I whipped my eyes open and lifted my head. "Mommy?" I called out, my voice sounding small and fragile.

Then I heard a laugh. It sounded cruel, and somewhat sinister.

I screamed and tried to run, but something grabbed me from behind, and slipped a bag over my head so I couldn't see.

I had found something alright. Or had something found me?

**Do you like it? Please tell me you like it! Review!**


	2. Chapter One

**Okayyyy I had one little review that doesn't count because it was my friend. Sorry Squiddy you never count on here! :( I know this story may not be so good… And that's why I want your reviews to help me become a better writer! Disclaimer:**

**Me: What are you doing all the way in Switzerland Pooka?**

**Pooka: I've gone on a quest around the world to find out who wrote Maximum Ride!**

**Me: I could have told you that. It's James Patterson.**

**Pooka: Noooo *Runs away in shame***

I heard the eerie sound of the lab door swing open, and I shuffled silently to the back of my dog crate. I looked at the crate next door to see Kenan do the same. Not once in my ten years of being here have I ever done what they ordered without a fight, or at least a complaint.

I'd been a pretty fearless little kid, and I was still just as courageous now, even after all I've been through. The same goes for Kenan.

Through the bars of my nice and uncomfortable crate I saw a pair of legs, clad in work shoes and khakis approach. The person leaned down, revealing his crisp white coat. A pale man's face loomed in front of me. Nader. He was the scientist who had grafted our wings on us at age four.

You see, they already found that you could successfully combine DNA before the baby was fully formed and have it be successful. They changed our bodies after we were a few years old. To them, we were just experiments, nothing more. They treated us as if we were _things _without feelings or souls. But we were _so _much more.

Slowly, he opened my cage door. I glared at him, eyes narrowed.

"Come on, let's make this easy this time. Come on out." He looked at me expectantly.

Oh please. He had known me for _ten years._ You would think that by now, he would know me better than this.

"Bite me," I spat. I had developed quite an attitude in my years spent here.

Kenan smirked next to me. I knew he tried to pretend he was fine so it wouldn't upset me, but I knew he really wasn't in good shape right now. They had deprived him of food for almost a week, finally giving him something that barely qualified as a meal this morning.

"Have it your way," he replied, his eyes glinting with frustration behind his thick glasses. He took out some sort of contraption and aimed it at me. Before I could duck out of the way, I had a dart in my forehead. I ripped it out, but I was already feeling woozy. In a matter of seconds, the world was black.

I awakened from quite an unpleasant nap.

"Lyra?" I heard a faint whisper. I opened my eyes and…. Couldn't see a thing!

"Kenan what's happening?" I hissed. I hated not knowing what the heck was going on.

"It's okay," he whispered back. "You have a bandage on your eyes."

"Could you possibly elaborate?" I hated how he could be so vague sometimes.

"Well they did surgery on your eyes, I'm not sure what for, but I saw the whole thing," he explained.

If my eyes weren't covered, they would have widened, not from shock as this was typical, but from worry, I'm sure of it. "Do I… Are you sure I still have them?"

"Um… Well I'm pretty sure… Does it hurt?"

I paused, realizing that yeah, it did hurt. One thing I had learned was to take pain, and try to ignore it. "I feel like something is holding a knife to my eyes, and my head hurts too."

He didn't say anything, he was probably nodding. He didn't usually say much unless he had to. We were both terrified of the white coats, I was just better at hiding my fear.

"I'm taking this off." I reached for the stupid bandage.

"Kay."

I ripped off the thing; it was wrapped all the way around my head. My fingers flew to my face. Yeah, they were still there all right. I could feel cuts and stitches surrounding them.

I heard Kenan intake air sharply.

"Does it look bad?"

"It'll heal, once the stitches come out." He didn't answer my question, so yeah, I knew it looked pretty bad.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, and the images around me came into focus. I gasped. "No…. Oh no."

"What's wrong? Can you see?" Kenan whispered hurriedly.

"I can see," I said in a small voice. I swallowed back tears. How could they take this from me?

"Then what's wrong?" Kenan asked, becoming frustrated with me.

"The colors… They're just… gone," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Everything's black and white."

Kenan's eyes widened in shock.

Kenan, who was pretty much the only person I saw everyday that actually mattered, I would never see him the same way again. I would never see his green eyes, or how his hair shined black-brown when it was bright.

If I ever got to see what I looked like again, I would never see my blonde hair, my brown eyes. Even if I escaped someday, I would never see the green leaves blanketing the trees in the summer, or the colors of blooming flowers in the spring.

It seemed as if the whole world had been taken from me.

**Awwwwww :'( Review!**


	3. Chapter Two

**Okay, this story may just be a fail. But I will continue anyways!**

**Disclaimer:**

**A Squid out of water comes by and tells you the random fact that I do not own Maximum Ride. She is correct, and if anything happens, everything is her fault!**

**Oh and by the way, I spelled Kenan wrong so it's pronounced Keenan…**

A single tear rolled down my cheek and I whipped it away with my hand before it fell to the floor of my dog crate. Believe me; the tear wasn't because I was feeling sorry for myself, that's not like me. It was a tear of white-hot anger.

In a soft, low voice sharp with rage, I said, "I am not going to just sit here and take this. I am getting out of hear, whether you decide to come or not, and then I will come up with a plan. A plan to come back and make these scientists suffer as much as we have."

Kenan looked at me, and I saw something like pride flash in his eyes. "I thought you'd never ask! Of course I'm in, Lyra." He gazed at me intently, and I looked away for a moment, a bit confused. When I looked back at him, the look was gone.

I smiled a mischievous smile at him. "Let's do this thing."

I leaned in close to his dog crate and barely whispered, "Okay so here's the plan. We'll…"

THE NEXT DAY

I hadn't slept at all night. I lay awake in anticipation. I think the same goes for Kenan.

I knew it was morning when I heard activity out in the rest of the building. I had amazing hearing that Kenan didn't, not to brag.

I signaled to him that the plan had now begun.

He nodded and gave me his wide grin.

I rolled my eyes and lay down. You see, I was capable of not breathing for a long period of time, and make my heart stop completely.

I could still use my senses, all except scent of course. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's true. It's like I don't need them for a while, but I know I need air and my heart again when suddenly I feel this enormous pressure inside me. It's hard to explain.

I knew it, but I never let the scientists find out because I knew they would perform tests on me to explore this ability.

Kenan had two amazing abilities himself. He sometimes got visions of the future, though he couldn't control when he had them at all. Also, when he smelt something, he literally sees its source in his head. I wasn't sure how this will be useful, but hey, you never know.

Hearing the door open and I shut my eyes and stopped breathing, being as still as possible. I concentrated hard, and felt my heart stop.

I knew Kenan would be wincing in the dog crate next door. He hated it whenever I did this.

I heard the scientist, most likely Nader, approach my cage.

He stopped, so I knew he was looking in.

"That's odd," Nader muttered, "it's always awake when I come in."

That's right. _It's._

He shook the cage, and I didn't move. I made myself limp as possible.

"Hmmmm." I heard the cage door click open, and the next thing I knew I felt his hands grab me under the arms, and he pulled me out.

It was so hard not to resist him, and free myself.

He dropped me (not very gently) onto the metal table.

_Uh oh, _I thought. _He'd better not do an autopsy on me before Kenan's out._

I felt his old, gnarled hand grab my wrist, feeling for a pulse.

"Nothing!" He sounded enraged. ""How could it have died?"

I heard him say into his radio, "I have subject eighty-seven here, definitely dead. Permission to perform an autopsy?"

A voice, difficult to understand due to static, said, "Permission granted, and if the cause of death happens to be anything that was _your_ fault, I'll…" The rest cut off into a static.

I waited for Nader to go and get Kenan.

You see, when an 'experiment' that lives in the same room as you (there were more in here before) dies, the scientists like to gather all the other experiments, and let them say 'goodbye.' But actually, Nader's threatening you that if you cause any trouble, he'll do this to you. (As if we don't know that he never meant to kill them)

Then, (this is the really horrible part) he straps you to a chair and makes you _watch _the autopsy. Nice, right?

Before he strapped Kenan down, we were going to attack as best we could, two against one old man.

I heard Nader unlatch Kenan's cage. He told him to come out, and I heard the cage door click behind Kenan as he came out.

This was where the fun began.

**:) Can't wait for the "fun?" Review and tell me it to make me feel happy! :)**

**-Penny**


	4. Chapter Three

**Yo! Nobody and I mean like NOBODY reads this… So I'm going to end it soon-ish.**

**Kindlover123 (aka Squid) you asked a question so I will answer. Answer: Obviously you will find out.**

**Disclaimer:**

**A Graceful Loyal Universal Celtic Foreigner reads a book called Maximum Ride and she sees that JAMES PATTERSON OWNS IT and the ideas and concept.**

"Look at your friend. It's dead now. And you'll be quick to join it if there's any bedlam caused by you!" Nader spat at Kenan.

I sneaked a peek with one eye, knowing Nader would be facing Kenan. It's always the same.

I couldn't believe it! A tear, an actual tear was rolling down Kenan's pale cheek. At least, I think it was pale; it was hard to tell anymore.

I had no idea Kenan was such a good actor. And believe me, we knew almost everything about each other. We were all either of us had for ten years. And ten years is a long time when it's spent in a dog crate.

I snapped my eyes shut again and resumed the same expression.

I hoped Kenan remembered his cue. Nader said it every time, so he'd better not fail us this time. Ha. I made it sound like Nader was actually _helping_ us.

"Guess what!" Nader instructed Kenan.

Dead silence. We never responded to him; he taught us we would be hurt if we ever did when we were younger.

"There's been a change of plans! You're going to _perform_ the autopsy."

Oh, _crap._

Our plan was so well thought out, and I mean _really_ well thought out. I had thought of everything! Except for this.

I hoped Kenan could use his newfound acting skills and improvise.

"I know what you're thinking, actually you're probably not smart enough to think it," Nader said conceitedly. "Why would I give an experiment knives and tools for surgery?"

_Oh yes, that _is _just what I was thinking. This may turn out to be perfect._

"But you won't consider trying something, because I have _him," _Nader explained. I heard the door open and someone walk in. "He will have a gun pointed at you the whole time."

_Great._

"Now, you have seen enough autopsies. I imagine you know how to do the Y incision correctly enough."

I heard the clack of a tool and heard someone approach me. I was pretty sure it was Kenan.

"There's someone else I'd like to make the Y incision on," Kenan mumbled.

Yep, it was Kenan.

"Excuse me?" Nader said, he was shocked.

"YOU HEARD ME!" Kenan shouted. "YOU FRICKIN' HEARD ME!"

Oh boy.

I heard scrambling.

"Let me go or I'll you'll join your friend for sure"! Hahahaha this was Nader talking. Alright Kenan!

"We'll see who joins her," Kenan snickered.

Heeeeeey, I'm not really dead, I thought. And if I was, Nader would be the last person I would want to join me.

"Shoot him! What are you doing, shoot him!" Nader screamed.

"I can't get a clear shot, sir. I would need to shoot you," a deep, male voice said.

So, if he was trying to get a clear shot… He would be aiming at them, concentrating.

It was my turn to step in.

I slid open one eye, making no sudden movements.

Sure enough, the dark skinned man with the gun was not looking at me. Instead he was holding his gun pointed at Kenan and Nader, just as I had suspected.

Kenan was holding Nader around the neck, keeping him in front of him. He held the surgical knife to his throat.

Silent and swift as a ninja, I slithered off the metal table and onto the floor, keeping low, I stalked to the man.

Coming up next to him without him noticing a thing, I whispered, "Hey there," in his ear ever so softly.

He startled, turning his head towards me but not the gun.

Taking advantage of this, I knocked the gun out of his hand and it clattered to the floor.

"You're… You're dead! Your heart wasn't beating!" The man whispered.

"Yeah, yeah I've heard it before," I replied smoothly.

He shook his head as if he were imagining this and doing so would make me die again.

I chuckled. I'm alive and tickin', _buddy_."

He made a quick move for his gun and I grabbed his arm, twisting it. He winced. Wow, maybe Kenan and I are just natural born fighters.

But, I could be better. After I got out of here I was going to train to fight better. Honestly, I think I just most likely caught him off guard, as Kenan had with Nader.

I grabbed the gun and pointed it at the man.

"It's your lucky day. I don't kill unless I have to," I informed him, and a look of relief crossed his face.

"But, you were trying to get a shot at my best friend. And I don't like it when someone messes with my friend."

His eyes widened as I stepped closer, the gun still pointed at him.

"Please, I'll do anything," he pleaded, obviously terrified. He edged backwards as far as he could, ending up pressed against a cabinet. I stepped closer until the gun was an inch from his nose. He was going almost cross-eyed staring at it.

"Lyra, would you pick up the pace?" Kenan asked from across the room.

I ignored him.

"Like I said, I don't kill." I moved the gun to the side and knocked him in the head. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

I smirked satisfactorily and made my way over to Kenan and Dr. Wimp.

"What should we do?" Kenan asked.

"You should let me go, or else. You'll never get out of here," Nader persuaded us.

"Oh shut up," I responded. "Let him go," I told Kenan.

"But Lyra—"

"I have a gun!" I exclaimed.

Kenan sighed. "Alright."

Slowly he let go of Nader but remained close just in case. I think he thought I didn't see him put the knife in it's case and stash it in his pocket, but I did.

"Any sudden moves and I'll blow your brains out," I told Nader.

Nader stood there, facing me helplessly. His eyes looked angry and possibly scared behind his old man glasses.

"First of all, I'm a her. Kenan is a he. We are _not _its. If someone were to be called an it, I think it would be you. And that's right, we have _names_. I'm Lyra. Try using it sometime instead of subject eighty-seven." I informed him, keeping the gun raised and pointed at him.

I looked to Kenan, and he shared his piece.

"My name is Kenan. I'm fully Irish if I remember correctly, and I had an older sister. Not that you care, but this just shows you that I had a life before. A good life. And you robbed me of it. I'm a human being, I have feelings, and towards you I feel nothing but hatred," Kenan spoke angrily.

Nader stood there looking at us curiously, taken aback.

I glanced at Kenan, and in that moment, Nader reached into his pocket and did something before I could react. Kind of like I did to the gun man.

Alarms blared throughout the building.

"Oh crap, Keen we gotta jet," I said.

I threw the gun like a frisbee at Nader's head while he snickered, and his snicker turned into an expression of pain and shock as he fell to the floor, knocked out.

"Who's laughing now?" I asked.

I went to get the gun but Kenan grabbed my arm and said, "Lyra I don't want us to have that."

I raised my eyebrows at him, thinking about the knife, but muttered, "Fine."

"Now, how do we get out?" Kenan asked in a panicked fashion.

"Calm down Keen. Remember the plan?" I asked.

"Well nothing's gone according to plan just yet, and I don't think we can get out now that they will be here _in like ten seconds!_" Kenan said, freaking out.

I surveyed the room quickly. The alarms were still blaring. We didn't have much time. There was the door leading to the rest of the building, which was a no go, a closet, and there was no way I was hiding in _there_.

I looked to the ceiling. Above the counter was an air conditioning vent. Bingo. We could crawl through the ducts!

The vent was hinged. I unlatched it and it swung down. Thinking fast, I grabbed a roll of duct tape and put it around my wrist.

"Kenan you're stronger. You go first, I'll boost you up, and then you can help pull me in," I instructed him."

"Alright let's hurry it up," Kenan replied.

Kenan scrambled to get into the duct and I shoved his legs, standing on a chair.

I shoved the chair away so it wouldn't be obvious we used it to get there, and began to climb in myself. I got the first half of myself up and Kenan hoisted to rest of me up.

I turned and pulled the vent shut just as I heard the door open and held onto it by digging my fingernails into the vents. I let go with the hand that I had the tape around and held it out to Kenan.

He took it, ripped off a few pieces, and taped the vent shut, reaching over me. We taped it several times just to be sure it wouldn't fall open, cluing them in that we left through them.

The duct was about three feet wide and three feet tall.

Kenan turned and smiled at me.

I shook my head. It wasn't over yet.

**Will they escape? I'll add the next chapter faster if you review!**

**Haha, I just realized they used duct tape in a duct, I was thinking about masking tape, but settled on duct tape coincidentally.**


	5. Chapter Four

**Yo! Nobody and I mean like NOBODY reads this… So I'm going to end it soon-ish.**

**Kindlover123 (aka Squid) you asked a question so I will answer. Answer: Obviously you will find out.**

**Disclaimer:**

**A Graceful Loyal Universal Celtic Foreigner reads a book called Maximum Ride and she sees that JAMES PATTERSON OWNS IT and the ideas and concept.**

"Look at your friend. It's dead now. And you'll be quick to join it if there's any bedlam caused by you!" Nader spat at Kenan.

I sneaked a peek with one eye, knowing Nader would be facing Kenan. It's always the same.

I couldn't believe it! A tear, an actual tear was rolling down Kenan's pale cheek. At least, I think it was pale; it was hard to tell anymore.

I had no idea Kenan was such a good actor. And believe me, we knew almost everything about each other. We were all either of us had for ten years. And ten years is a long time when it's spent in a dog crate.

I snapped my eyes shut again and resumed the same expression.

I hoped Kenan remembered his cue. Nader said it every time, so he'd better not fail us this time. Ha. I made it sound like Nader was actually _helping_ us.

"Guess what!" Nader instructed Kenan.

Dead silence. We never responded to him; he taught us we would be hurt if we ever did when we were younger.

"There's been a change of plans! You're going to _perform_ the autopsy."

Oh, _crap._

Our plan was so well thought out, and I mean _really_ well thought out. I had thought of everything! Except for this.

I hoped Kenan could use his newfound acting skills and improvise.

"I know what you're thinking, actually you're probably not smart enough to think it," Nader said conceitedly. "Why would I give an experiment knives and tools for surgery?"

_Oh yes, that _is _just what I was thinking. This may turn out to be perfect._

"But you won't consider trying something, because I have _him," _Nader explained. I heard the door open and someone walk in. "He will have a gun pointed at you the whole time."

_Great._

"Now, you have seen enough autopsies. I imagine you know how to do the Y incision correctly enough."

I heard the clack of a tool and heard someone approach me. I was pretty sure it was Kenan.

"There's someone else I'd like to make the Y incision on," Kenan mumbled.

Yep, it was Kenan.

"Excuse me?" Nader said, he was shocked.

"YOU HEARD ME!" Kenan shouted. "YOU FRICKIN' HEARD ME!"

Oh boy.

I heard scrambling.

"Let me go or I'll you'll join your friend for sure"! Hahahaha this was Nader talking. Alright Kenan!

"We'll see who joins her," Kenan snickered.

Heeeeeey, I'm not really dead, I thought. And if I was, Nader would be the last person I would want to join me.

"Shoot him! What are you doing, shoot him!" Nader screamed.

"I can't get a clear shot, sir. I would need to shoot you," a deep, male voice said.

So, if he was trying to get a clear shot… He would be aiming at them, concentrating.

It was my turn to step in.

I slid open one eye, making no sudden movements.

Sure enough, the dark skinned man with the gun was not looking at me. Instead he was holding his gun pointed at Kenan and Nader, just as I had suspected.

Kenan was holding Nader around the neck, keeping him in front of him. He held the surgical knife to his throat.

Silent and swift as a ninja, I slithered off the metal table and onto the floor, keeping low, I stalked to the man.

Coming up next to him without him noticing a thing, I whispered, "Hey there," in his ear ever so softly.

He startled, turning his head towards me but not the gun.

Taking advantage of this, I knocked the gun out of his hand and it clattered to the floor.

"You're… You're dead! Your heart wasn't beating!" The man whispered.

"Yeah, yeah I've heard it before," I replied smoothly.

He shook his head as if he were imagining this and doing so would make me die again.

I chuckled. I'm alive and tickin', _buddy_."

He made a quick move for his gun and I grabbed his arm, twisting it. He winced. Wow, maybe Kenan and I are just natural born fighters.

But, I could be better. After I got out of here I was going to train to fight better. Honestly, I think I just most likely caught him off guard, as Kenan had with Nader.

I grabbed the gun and pointed it at the man.

"It's your lucky day. I don't kill unless I have to," I informed him, and a look of relief crossed his face.

"But, you were trying to get a shot at my best friend. And I don't like it when someone messes with my friend."

His eyes widened as I stepped closer, the gun still pointed at him.

"Please, I'll do anything," he pleaded, obviously terrified. He edged backwards as far as he could, ending up pressed against a cabinet. I stepped closer until the gun was an inch from his nose. He was going almost cross-eyed staring at it.

"Lyra, would you pick up the pace?" Kenan asked from across the room.

I ignored him.

"Like I said, I don't kill." I moved the gun to the side and knocked him in the head. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

I smirked satisfactorily and made my way over to Kenan and Dr. Wimp.

"What should we do?" Kenan asked.

"You should let me go, or else. You'll never get out of here," Nader persuaded us.

"Oh shut up," I responded. "Let him go," I told Kenan.

"But Lyra—"

"I have a gun!" I exclaimed.

Kenan sighed. "Alright."

Slowly he let go of Nader but remained close just in case. I think he thought I didn't see him put the knife in it's case and stash it in his pocket, but I did.

"Any sudden moves and I'll blow your brains out," I told Nader.

Nader stood there, facing me helplessly. His eyes looked angry and possibly scared behind his old man glasses.

"First of all, I'm a her. Kenan is a he. We are _not _its. If someone were to be called an it, I think it would be you. And that's right, we have _names_. I'm Lyra. Try using it sometime instead of subject eighty-seven." I informed him, keeping the gun raised and pointed at him.

I looked to Kenan, and he shared his piece.

"My name is Kenan. I'm fully Irish if I remember correctly, and I had an older sister. Not that you care, but this just shows you that I had a life before. A good life. And you robbed me of it. I'm a human being, I have feelings, and towards you I feel nothing but hatred," Kenan spoke angrily.

Nader stood there looking at us curiously, taken aback.

I glanced at Kenan, and in that moment, Nader reached into his pocket and did something before I could react. Kind of like I did to the gun man.

Alarms blared throughout the building.

"Oh crap, Keen we gotta jet," I said.

I threw the gun like a frisbee at Nader's head while he snickered, and his snicker turned into an expression of pain and shock as he fell to the floor, knocked out.

"Who's laughing now?" I asked.

I went to get the gun but Kenan grabbed my arm and said, "Lyra I don't want us to have that."

I raised my eyebrows at him, thinking about the knife, but muttered, "Fine."

"Now, how do we get out?" Kenan asked in a panicked fashion.

"Calm down Keen. Remember the plan?" I asked.

"Well nothing's gone according to plan just yet, and I don't think we can get out now that they will be here _in like ten seconds!_" Kenan said, freaking out.

I surveyed the room quickly. The alarms were still blaring. We didn't have much time. There was the door leading to the rest of the building, which was a no go, a closet, and there was no way I was hiding in _there_.

I looked to the ceiling. Above the counter was an air conditioning vent. Bingo. We could crawl through the ducts!

The vent was hinged. I unlatched it and it swung down. Thinking fast, I grabbed a roll of duct tape and put it around my wrist.

"Kenan you're stronger. You go first, I'll boost you up, and then you can help pull me in," I instructed him."

"Alright let's hurry it up," Kenan replied.

Kenan scrambled to get into the duct and I shoved his legs, standing on a chair.

I shoved the chair away so it wouldn't be obvious we used it to get there, and began to climb in myself. I got the first half of myself up and Kenan hoisted to rest of me up.

I turned and pulled the vent shut just as I heard the door open and held onto it by digging my fingernails into the vents. I let go with the hand that I had the tape around and held it out to Kenan.

He took it, ripped off a few pieces, and taped the vent shut, reaching over me. We taped it several times just to be sure it wouldn't fall open, cluing them in that we left through them.

The duct was about three feet wide and three feet tall.

Kenan turned and smiled at me.

I shook my head. It wasn't over yet.

Will they escape? I'll add the next chapter faster if you review!

Haha, I just realized they used duct tape in a duct, I was thinking about masking tape, but settled on duct tape coincidentally.

Sorry I haven't updated anything in a while. Been busy. No disclaimer for once. I am running out of creative juice, and I do not own Maximum Ride.

I couldn't see anything at all in the ducts. When they did the operation on my eyes, they took my night vision away as well as color.

All I could do was feel the cold, metallic surface under my hands as we crawled.

Thankfully, Kenan's eyes were in mint condition, and he could see some light even in a place like this that has never seen any.

Using my resources, I had taken the tie out of my shorts and tied my wrist to Kenan's ankle. If we got separated in here, I doubt I would ever see light again.

After about ten minutes of crawling straight forwards, going slowly so as not to make any noises for the people who would be looking for us by now, we stopped.

I felt Kenan begin to turn towards me and my wrist was jerked forwards painfully.

"Don't turn," I hissed in a harsh whisper.

"Right, sorry about that," He replied sheepishly.

"Just don't do it again."

"So what's the plan?" Even though his voice was just a hushed whisper, barely audible, I could tell he was scared. And now it was up to me to reassure him, and he expected me to know just how to get out of this. Crap.

"Gimme a sec," I whispered back. What an awesome plan. I thought about the situation we were in, willing some brilliant idea to come to mind. And, right on cue, there it was!

"Okay," I began, "Here's the deal. We'll crawl as far as we can, always trying to take the way that keeps us going in the same direction, so eventually we will get to where it takes in air on the side of the building. We punch out the vents there, and run away."

Kenan said nothing. Hmm, was he waiting for me to continue or something? I had nothing else to say.

"Kenan?"

"Oh, sorry, right. Sounds good. I nodded, but I forgot you couldn't see me," he explained.

What a doofus. I glared at him, hoping he was looking at me. "What are you waiting for, get crawling."

So, we crawled onwards for what I would say was about twenty minutes, before either of us said anything.

"Kenan?" I whispered in a small voice.

"Yeah?" He asked as we kept moving.

"It's cold in here."

"I know. But we'll be out and free before you know it."

"I hope so."

"Don't say that."

"Sorry. I loved your fake crying out there by the way, It was an excellent touch. Who knows, maybe someday you'll be an actor when we grow up and can be almost normal ag—"

"Lyra."

"Sorry. I know I talk too much sometimes. I think it's because I'm not aloud to so often, when I get the chance I just can't stop and I know it's—"

"Lyra!"

"Sorry there I go again. What?"

"Those weren't fake. I can't fake tears."

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. "Why he heck were you crying then?"

"I can't stand seeing you dead, thinking about you dead. You- You mean so much to me, and I never want to lose you. I hate seeing you in danger, I don't know what I would do without you." He said this in a timid, scared voice. He was serious, not kidding.

Crap. I'm not sure what he was telling me by this. I tried to speak, but no words came to mind.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I was stupid and now you think I'm a wimp," Kenan mumbled.

"Sorry," I replied, not exactly sure what I was apologizing for.

"Just forget it, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed. I would be happy to, but I knew I never would.

We crawled on in silence for about ten more minutes until Kenan stopped suddenly and I slammed into him.

"Kenan!" I hissed, "You can't stop without telling me! We'll make noise!" Thankfully, I was pretty sure we hadn't.

"I'm sorry. It ends for going straight here, we can go left or right," he explained.

"Okay, um, well does either go to the side and go back to being straight again?" I inquired. I hated not being able to see it myself. I felt as if I had been plunged into a world condemned to total darkness, and I would never find my way back again. I had to remind myself that I was lucky that when they did the operation on me, my sight hadn't been removed completely.

"Yeah. Left. We're turning all the way left, Ly."

He scooted forward and I turned my body to face me left side.

"You're good," Kenan told me. "Let's go."

We crept forwards once more, left with nothing to say. It was slightly awkward between us now after what Kenan had said.

Feelings of anxiety swirled through my stomach as we moved towards our freedom. I pondered what I would get to do when we escaped. Have my own pair of pretty shoes, maybe get my eyes fixed, see my mother. I wondered if she missed me, or if she even thought about me anymore. Pushing those thoughts away, I thought about other things I had been deprived of. Kenan and I would learn new things, maybe even go to a real school!

Kenan.

After we escaped, would we leave each other? I had grown up with him, and he was my best friend. I never wanted him to fade away, leaving me only with memories of him. Now I had come to the realization that the first thing I saw when I woke up, the person who comforted me when I had nightmares, the person who whispered to me in the dark and cold of the night, would no longer be Kenan.

"Ly?" Kenan whispered, causing my thoughts to drift away like leaf caught in an autumn wind.

"Yeah?"

"We have to stop. There's a dead end. No vents, no nothing. We'll have to go back another way, but we'll figure it out."

"Oh," I replied, "hardly registering any concern. I was too tired. "I'm tired," I informed him, speaking my thoughts aloud.

"Me too. We've been crawling for a long time. Maybe it's night time already."

"Maybe. Can we sleep, for just a while?"

"Yeah, if you want."

I lay on my side and closed my eyes, feeling the cold metal pierce my skin. I felt like the chill was a poison, spreading over my whole body like pins and needles. "It's so cold," I whispered.

Kenan didn't say anything, just gathered me in his strong arms and pulled me close. I untied the string around my wrist, and let him hold me as he slumped against the duct wall.

I huddled into him, feeling the warmth of his body spread to me. Then I felt something cover me, like a blanket, I inhaled, the smell of Kennan instantly comforting me. It was his sweatshirt.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked him, concerned.

"Not at all. I'm perfect," he answered quietly.

Content, I drifted into a deep, comfortable sleep.


End file.
